Tag Archives: weight and IVF

It’s National Fertility Awareness Week and today the campaign group Fertility Fairness has released an audit which has found new restrictions on IVF funding. The survey covered all the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England and found that 80% are failing to follow the NICE guidance which says that all eligible couples under the age of 39 should be offered 3 full cycles of IVF treatment.

Many are also setting new criteria to limit eligibility for treatment. Despite the fact that neither male age nor weight affect the success rate of IVF, more than a quarter of CCGs have decided to use the male partner’s body mass index (BMI) to decide whether a couple can access NHS treatment, and 8% no longer offer NHS funding if the male partner is 55 or over. Around one in four CCGs also use AMH or antral-follicle count to check a women’s ovarian reserve (an estimate of the number of eggs in the ovaries) to decide whether she is eligible for IVF. The NICE guidance gives some guidance on levels at which these may be helpful to assess how a woman may respond to the drugs used in IVF to stimulate the ovaries, but there is no suggestion at all that this might be used to decide who should be eligible for treatment.

Consultant gynaecologist and Fertility Fairness committee member Raj Mathur, said: ‘ Male age and BMI are not in the NICE guidance as criteria for IVF and there is no strong evidence of impact on clinical outcomes of IVF. AMH and antral follicle count are in the NICE guideline as predictors of ovarian response, but NOT as predictors of the chance of having a baby through IVF. Commissioners are making unjustified extrapolation in using them for rationing.’

The audit found that

3.6% of CCGs have removed NHS IVF entirely

40% do not offer a full IVF cycle, limiting the number of frozen embryo transfers

20% offer one full IVF cycle, transferring all fresh and frozen embryos

23% offer two IVF cycles.

13% offer three IVF cycles.

In the last two years, 30 CCGs have reduced NHS fertility services, and one in ten CCGs is currently consulting on cutting or removing NHS fertility treatment.

Sarah Norcross, co-chair of Fertility Fairness, said: ‘It is shocking to see CCGs introducing their own ‘access to IVF’ criteria, as well as reducing the number of IVF cycles they offer. It is not the CCG’s job to decide the criteria for accessing NHS fertility services. NICE has accessed the evidence in its guideline and developed access criteria for NHS patients and they do not include male BMI, male age, a woman’s AMH level or whether or not a couple has a child from a previous relationship. What criteria will CCGs introduce next; star signs and shoe size? CCGs need to remove their extra ‘access to IVF’ criteria now.’

Aileen Feeney, co-chair of Fertility Fairness and chief executive of leading national charity Fertility Network UK said: ‘ Fertility Network is extremely concerned about the effect that reducing access to NHS IVF has on already distressed patients. Infertility is a devastating disease causing depression, suicidal feelings, relationship breakdown and social isolation; removing the recommended clinical help or making it harder to access is cruel and economically short-sighted. Access to NHS treatment should be according to medical need and not your postcode. We urge anyone affected to join Fertility Network’s #Scream4IVF campaign calling for fair access to NHS IVF in the UK; with your help we can reach 100,000 signatures and hold a debate on the issue at Westminster. Sign the petition at www.scream4IVF.org and share your #Scream4IVF during Fertility Week.’

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Fertility Matters is written by Kate Brian who has been through fertility problems, tests and IVF treatment herself. The website gives reliable information, advice and support to anyone who is having difficulties getting pregnant. Read more